Five more fatalities due to complications from COVID-19 were reported Thursday by the Atlantic County Division of Public Health.
The cases included a 78-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man, both of Hammonton; an 81-year-old Absecon man; a 78-year-old Egg Harbor Township man; and an 89-year-old Linwood woman. Four of the five were residents of long-term care facilities.
County health officials also confirmed 57 new cases among 25 males, ages 22-88 and 32 females, ages 7-92. Twenty-one additional residents have been cleared as recovered. This brings the countywide totals to 960 confirmed cases, 42 deaths and 178 recovered residents, according to a county press release.
Atlantic County has tested nearly 700 residents to date with a 27.1 percent rate of positivity among those tested. The statewide rate of positivity has been slowly decreasing but remains more than 40 percent.
Thursday’s new cases included 33 residents in Absecon, eight in Atlantic City and four in Egg Harbor Township. Galloway, Hamilton Township and Linwood each had three new positives, Pleasantville had two new cases and Weymouth had one.
Atlantic County also announced additional drive-thru test dates for Tuesday, May 5, and Thursday, May 7, by appointment only, for symptomatic county residents with a doctor’s prescription. The testing will be conducted behind the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Appointments that had been scheduled for Thursday’s postponed testing will be honored on Monday, May 4, at the same time as originally scheduled.
Residents may make an appointment for testing online at www.aclink.org. In addition to the doctor’s prescription, residents must also provide proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or utility bill, as well as the appointment confirmation.
Those who are unable to keep their appointments are asked to cancel so that others will have an opportunity to be tested.
